Most unintentionally hilarious moments?

Just watched the entire series over a course of 5 days. WOW. Just, wow.

The whole time I kept thinking about Lost; but the writers of Lost seemed to earn their cliffhangers, told their story with patience, truly loved its characters, and had a motecum of respect for its audience.

However, I kind of loved UTD. After all, I didn't stop watching Season 3 even at its most ridiculous. Like your doofy little brother born with foetal alcohol syndrome, who argues with fire hydrants, runs around the neighbourhood naked and poops in the urinals at school: you're protective of the little freak.

So...let's cultivate the best of its worst aspects.

- Something that ALWAYS drives me nuts in shows, post-Lost, is how rapidly the presence of brand new (and plot-advancing) characters is casualized by the rest of the characters. Sometimes within HOURS of their arrival, as if they suddenly joined a pickup game of tag. Life is almost never like that. We always struggle recalling the new girl's first name during her first week at the job...

- Exposition. Oh boy. It's supposed to be handled in a very, very delicate (soufflé-like) manner. Think of how smoothly and convincingly you need to speak in order to close a sale, get a date, negotiate a raise, etc. The Wire handled it seemlessly, masterfully. UTD, on the other hand, gave zero F's when it came to the authenticity, natural gradation, or quality of its dialogue.

Here's an example (From S3 E10):

Barbie and Julia survey the (hilariously self-evident) carnage of the seige on the resistance safe-house. Bodies are literally slumped over the porch railings. It's like a school play.

Barbie: "It's possible nobody survived this attack."
Julia: "The only bodies are out here. Jim had other safehouses on his radar; maybe they escaped."
Barbie: "Or...they were taken. If they're alive, it won't be for long. The
kinship still thinks I'm a part of them, so why don't I head down to town hall and see what I can find out."
Julia: "I'll go check out the other places the resistance could be hiding. What if somehow they know you're not one of them anymore?"
Barbie: "They won't. I can fake it."
Julia: "And if you see Eva again?"
Barbie: "I was used. I was manipulated by Christine to father a child. The only thing I feel right now...is anger. So I'm gonna get in there, find out what we need to know, and I will come back to you, kay?" (They kiss)

Almost none of that dialogue had to take place, aside from a nervous tendency to always make sure the audience knows exactly what is happening.

- We know there was an attack. The set director made it adorably obvious.
- The two of them started the scene from the inside of the house, they emerge empty-handed without the resistance. We can intuit that they weren't inside. a simple 'Where are they?!' would suffice.
- We know the kinship still thinks he's one of them already. Going back to Joe on a recon mission is only logical.
- Julia could simply have left without telling US exactly where, why, and how she was going. We'll know when we know. Stop belittling us.
- We know Barbie is sly; we know he cane fake it.
- Barbie explains his state-of-mind towards the enemy, his feelings for Julia, his immediate plans, and recaps some plotlines, all in one short handy-dandy tangent.

This isn't writing; it's telling. They might as well give this dialogue staring directly into the camera at the viewer.

Phew. I'm tired. More later.